The invention relates to the field of portable, illuminated signs, and more particularly to a portable sign on which illuminated changeable messages can be displayed.
Currently at airports, cruise ship terminals and the like, disembarking travellers are met by travel personnel such as travel agents, taxi drivers etc. who have been hired to transport a particular traveller to a destination but do not personally know their target traveller and so display a hand-written sheet or sign with the traveller""s name written thereon so that the target traveller will see his/her name and identify himself/herself to the travel personnel. Such greeting signs are often difficult to read due to poor lighting and are unprofessional looking.
Previous portable illuminated signs are known for various purposes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,455 Starevich, issued Mar. 19, 1991, discloses a portable illuminated sign for signalling a taxi. This device has a fixed illuminated message, namely the word xe2x80x9cTAXIxe2x80x9d and so is not useful for the airport greeting application which requires a changeable greeting message.
There is therefore a need for an illuminated greeting sign on which the greeting message can be easily changed.
The present invention therefore provides a portable sign on which illuminated changeable messages can be written. The invention provides a portable sign for displaying illuminated changeable messages, comprising a) a hollow housing; b) a light source mounted in the housing; c) a portable power source in the housing for supplying electric power to the light source; and d) a panel adapted to display a changeable message and positioned to be illuminated by the light source. Preferably the panel comprises a light-transmitting material having an erasable surface.